The Union Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday summoned the Germany Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission in New Delhi Georg Enzweiler to protest the German Foreign Ministry’s comments on the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
A spokesperson for the German Foreign Ministry had on Friday responded to a question from the German media saying that it has taken note of the Aam Aadmi Party leader’s arrest.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on Thursday on charges of corruption and money laundering in the Delhi liquor policy case. On Friday night, the Rouse Avenue Court sent him to the Enforcement Directorate’s custody till March 28. He is the first sitting chief minister to have been arrested in the country.
“We assume and expect that the standards relating to the independence of the judiciary and basic democratic principles will also be applied in this case,” said a statement from the ministry. “Like anyone facing accusations, Mr. Kejriwal is entitled to a fair and impartial trial…The presumption of innocence is a central element of the rule of law and must apply to him.”
“We see such remarks as interfering in our judicial process,” said external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Saturday.
“India is a vibrant and robust democracy with rule of law,” Jaiswal’s statement read. “As in all legal cases in the country, and elsewhere in the democratic world, law will take its own course in the instant matter. Biased assumptions made on this account are most unwarranted.”
The Aam Aadmi Party government had signed an agreement with the Goethe-Institut in 2022 to teach German language and literature in Delhi-government run schools, reported The Hindu.
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